Wednesday

Killers in disguise



We all know the Killer whale.  But what most of us don't know is that this guy is in disguise.


He's not really a whale!



The Killer whale is really... a dolphin! 


He's just a very large and toothy dolphin...  :)


But there are more like him in the sea...more "whales" that are not really whales at all!  


Here they are:


Melon-headed Whale

Killer Whale (Orca)


Pygmy Killer Whale


False Killer Whale


Long-finned & Short-finned Pilot Whale



So what makes a dolphin different than a whale? Size is one important difference, and so is what's inside the mouth. Dolphin all have teeth, but most whales have "baleen" (thick rows of tough hair that act as a food strainer). 


Let's take a look at some these giant dolphins and compare them to real whales...in what ways do they look different? 



No comments: